Past Life
by 15TwistsOfFate
Summary: Rose lives a normal life in Hong Kong until she begins to have strange dreams about a certain Huntsclan and a mysterious boy named Jake. Who is he and why does she keep dreaming about him? Takes place after the last episode of ADJL. Rated T  just in case!
1. Last Day

**Hey guys! This is my first ADJL story. I LOVE Jake and Rose. They're the best couple, really. Anyway, enjoy! And please review! :)**

**P.S. American Dragon: Jake Long belongs to the wonderful world of Disney**

**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Last Day

* * *

_Your words in my memory  
Are like music to me_

_- _"Set Fire To The Third Bar," Snow Patrol

* * *

"_Rose! Rose! I . . . I love you!" the boy said, desperation ringing in his voice as I began to float helplessly towards the sky._

_Below me, chaos erupted. The members of the Huntsclan were enraged at my wish. Well, who wouldn't be? I had wished for the entire Huntsclan to be destroyed. They had a right. But their cause, their actions . . . everything about the Huntsclan was evil. I didn't regret my wish to have the group entirely obliterated, even as I floated mere seconds before my death. All of this . . . this was for Jake. For the magical world. For everyone, really. Everything would be so much better this way, without the Hunstclan._

_Too bad I wouldn't get to see any of it._

_I looked at Jake one more time. I wanted to say something, anything. This was my last chance to tell him what he needed to know. "I love you," I whispered, my voice hoarse._

_Lifting my face up to the sky, I let the light engulf me. At least I was dying to save to world, right? My death would be like a twisted version of martyrdom. _

_The light spread out everywhere. It was all around me now. But in the back of my head, I heard Jake's voice faintly yelling something in the distance. "I wish Rose had never joined the Hunstclan!"_

_In a whirl of shock and confusion, I tried to turn around, look at him, try to see if what he said was real. If any of this was real. But I couldn't move._

_Then the darkness came._

I woke up in a cold sweat from the dream. It had been so real. It must have been the most realistic dream I had ever had in my entire life. It was almost palpable, as if . . . as if it were more of a memory than a dream.

Reaching weakly for the glass of water on my bedside table, I turned on my lamp. I took a sip and sighed. This was the third time this week I'd had that dream. Every time, the same thing happened. I'd be inches away from my death, then the boy . . . the boy would say something, and then . . . nothing. What was his name? John? I could never remember. I could barely even remember what he looked like. He was Asian, though, I was sure of it. I cursed myself for being so forgetful. All I could seem to remember were the emotions I felt in the dream. It was love, definitely love. So real . . . I'd almost fallen in love with the dream boy myself this morning, but I reminded myself _he isn't real._

Well, now that I was awake, I couldn't possibly go back to sleep. I'm like that. Wake me up once and I'll be completely unable to fall back into sleep, no matter what time it is. "Speaking of which . . . " I mumbled to myself, standing up and walking to my desk, where my clock sat. 4:15 am. Great. Not early enough to still be considered night time, but not late enough to really be morning.

I walked over to my windowsill and pulled myself up to sit on it, pressing my face against the cool glass. Beneath me, the city of Hong Kong lay peacefully . . . for now. In a couple of hours, it would be sprawling once again with tourists and shopkeepers and schoolchildren. It was a lot like New York in many ways. I sighed. I really missed home.

It had been only a week since my family and I had moved to Hong Kong. I liked the place enough, but why did my parents have to pull me out of Fillmore Middle School in the middle of the school year? Everything was going so well for me! My grades were great, I had all my friends, I was on the soccer and basketball teams . . .

"If only I could relive that last day of school," I said to myself. I didn't do anything different on the last day of school, really, except for having a goodbye lunch with all my friends. But that was it. I would have done things differently if I had to do it all over again. If I could just . . . relive the last day of school.

Wait a minute.

The last day of school. _The last day of school._ Oh my God.

The boy in my dreams . . . I met him on the last day of school.


	2. Family Trip

Chapter 2: Family Trip

* * *

_New York, 3:00 p.m._

Jake paced back and forth in front the steps of his house. He'd been waiting for Trixie and Spud to arrive for nearly half an hour. What was taking them so long? It was a Sunday afternoon, for crying out loud. All they were gonna do was go over to the park and hang out, as usual. They'd been doing this almost every weekend since the seventh grade. "Guys!" Jake yelled out to no one in particular. "WHAT'S WITH THE HOLD UP?"

He heard a shuffling noise to his left and turned to face a confused little kid staring at him with his eyebrows raised.

Jake grinned at him sheepishly. "Er, uhmmm, heh heh . . . run along now!" he said, shooing the boy away. "You saw nothing!"

As the kid scrambled off across the street and around a corner, Jake groaned and rubbed his temples. Ever since the day he saw Rose for the last time, things had never been the same. Now he was constantly on edge, as if he were just waiting for something to sneak up from behind him and attack. It was harder for him to be happy, too. Spud and Trix could say what they wanted about getting over this and finding someone else, but Jake knew that wasn't going to happen. Ever. Rose had been his soulmate, that one perfect person for him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get over her. He could be on a date with a supermodel and still not give a damn, because the only thing on his mind would probably be _RoseRoseRoseRoseRoseRoseRose_. As always. In fact, these past few weeks, he'd been failing most of his classes because she truly was all he could think about. Get over her? Find someone else? Yeah. Right.

His train of thought was interrupted when he saw a very dejected-looking Spud walking down the street towards him, his skateboard under his arm. "Well, that took you long enough! Where's Trix?" Jake said, standing up and dusting his pants. Spud sighed and pursed his lips. "uh . . . she's on, like, y'know. A date. With that guy." He looked at a lamppost with fire in his eyes as he spat out, "_Kyle Wilkins," _

"Oh. Sorry, dude."

"Yeah . . . me too."

"Well, I told you," Jake said as he gave Spud a light punch on the shoulder, "You shoulda told her. Right when you had the chance."

Spud shook his head. "You were right, man. Ugh, why was I so stupid?"

"No," Jake said in a barely audible voice. "Trust me, I've done worse."

Spud sighed. "I'm sorry, Jakey. I – I didn't mean to remind you of . . . look, bro, she's. . . . Rose is, like gon–"

"Yeah," Jake interrupted. "I know. Look, just forget it, okay? You'll be fine." And then, on a lighter note, he added, "Trixie'll find out what a loser Kyle is and you'll be back in the game. In no time. I swear."

Spud's face lit up. They both smiled and did their secret handshake. "Oh yeah!" Spud exclaimed, cheered up by Jake's reassuring words. "Now let's go ride some concrete waves!"

Jake chuckled as they both boarded their skateboards and rode off towards the park.

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the windows, bathing the Long's sitting room with the last few rays of the sunset. Hayley sat curled up on the couch, stringing pieces of uncooked macaroni onto a piece of string. By her feet lay a sleeping Fu Dog. It was one of those rare, glorious moments in a day when he wasn't gabbing about or making smart-ass side comments. All was peaceful.

And then the front door burst open. Hayley groaned. So much for a peaceful Sunday afternoon. "SEE YA LATER, SPUD!" Jake hollered out from the steps of their brownstone. The door loudly slammed shut, and Jake waltzed into the sitting room.

"Hey, sis," he said, plopping down on the couch. Amazingly, Fu remained asleep.

"You're in a good mood," she said. "Look at this macaroni necklace I made!"

Hayley held out the craft necklace for her brother to see. "Took me all afternoon, but I'm finally done."

Jake nodded as he rested his feet on top of the coffee table and reached for the remote. "That's nice, Hayley, but are you sure it'll fit that big head of yours?"

Hayley made a swing at Jake as he burst into hysterics. Her nostrils flared as she frowned angrily. "Hey! Don't be mean!"

Jake put his hands up in mock surrender. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding! Chill, Hayls. It's really nice. Swear. And don't be all hysterical, you'll wake Fu."

She cocked her head and considered his apology. "Fine," she shrugged. Jake pressed the on button on the remote and the TV blared with music. Taylor Swift made doe eyes at the screen.

_ Romeo, save me, they're trying to tell me how to feel_

_ This love is difficult, but it's real_

_ Don't be afraid, we'll make it out of this mess_

_ It's a love story, baby just say yes._

Hayley bounced up and down on the couch, practically shaking the entire room. Fu snored. The talking dog really did sleep like a rock. "Wooot! I love this song!"

Jake smirked as Hayley started singing along loudly (and not very pleasantly) to the song.

_ I got tired waiting_

_ Wondering if you were ever coming around_

_ My faith in you was fading_

_ When I met you on the outskirts of town, and I said –_

Just as the song began to ascend into its climactic chorus, Jake's parents burst into the living room, their faces plastered into huge, happy smiles.

"Kids, we've got great news!" Jonathan Long exclaimed. "Dad!" he hollered to his father-in-law. "Come on, we're gonna tell the kids! Hayley, honey, would you please turn off the TV? DAAAAADDD!"

"Alright, alright. Patience is a virtue," Came Grandpa Lao's voice from the kitchen. "I'm coming."

The old mad walked, or rather, glided - he was so graceful that whenever he walked, it almost appeared as though he was almost floating across the floor – to the family room. He sat down on the La-Z Boy next to the couch.

"Okay, kids," Susan Long, said, grinning. "As you know, summer will start in a week and a half –"

"AND WE'RE GOING TO HONG KONG!" Jonathan interrupted excitedly. "Isn't that great?"

"Do we have the tickets, dear?" Lao asked his daughter serenely. He looked calm enough on the outside, but anyone who knew him could instantly see the happiness in his eyes. He spent his years as a young man in Hong Kong before he moved to America, so the place would surely bring back good memories.

"Yes, Dad. We just got an email verifying the tickets. We're actually going!"

"Mommy, I'm sooooo excited!" Hayley chirped. "Can we go shopping?"

As Hayley and Susan chattered animatedly about their shopping excursion plans, Jake sat still. No one had noticed anything, but he hadn't said a word since his parents broke the news. Hong Kong. Rose lived in Hong Kong. Or at least she did, as far as he knew. Things could have changed in the past two months since she left. But there was still a possibility – a big, _big_ possibility that she was still there. His heart was racing and he couldn't think straight. He needed some time to think, to be alone, not in the middle of all this excited chatter.

"Um," he croaked, "Gotta go. Bathroom."

Grandpa Lao looked at him suspiciously, but decided to leave him alone. Jake bolted up the stairs and into his room, where he would finally have some room to breathe.

* * *

**Woot! Finally done with Chapter Two! Please review! :)**


	3. Keeping Secrets

Chapter 3: Keeping Secrets

_

* * *

_

_Our love was lost_

_But now we've found it_

_And if you flash your heart_

_I won't deny it_

_I promise_

- "Love Lost", Temper Trap

* * *

"And that, class, is why monkeys and chimpanzees are _not _one and the same."

I took a deep breath. God, biology class was boring. I looked up from my desk and saw practically the entire class zoning out as Mr. Jones droned on and on and on about the differences between primates. About three people were fast asleep, drooling on their desks. Two girls in the front row passed notes back and forth to each other, giggling every five seconds. And half the class was doodling. For today, we were having double biology – something all of us dreaded.

Pulling a sheet of paper out of my bag, I looked towards the whiteboard to make sure Mr. Jones didn't notice. No point there – he was so caught up in his own little world of bananas and lice that he seemed to be completely oblivious to the fact that no one was listening. Pencil in hand, I began to draw.

At first, I didn't know what I was doing. Then, as the strokes grew more defined and as time slowly ticked by, I realized I was sketching the boy from the dream. It was weird at first, working from memories of both the dream and the last day of school. But in the end, it worked. By the time the dismissal bell rang, I had a complete sketch of the boy – Jim? Jerry? Whatever his name was, at least now I had something to hold on to.

"Hey – hey, Rose! Wait up!" came a voice from behind me. I turned around to see Ashley huffing and puffing as she ran towards me. Ashley was my next-door neighbor and my first friend in Hong Kong. As soon as I stepped foot into the lobby of our apartment building, she had popped up out of nowhere with an eager smile and her hand held out.

"Yeah, Ashley?"

"Okay, so- " she wheezed, holding her index finger up as she tried to catch her breath. "Like, later, can we hang out at the mall?"

I raised an eyebrow as she grinned sheepishly. "And by 'hang out' you mean 'go-with-me-I-need-to-shop-for-a-new-dress-for-the-end-of-school-dance,' yes?" I said.

"Well, when you put it that way . . . aw, come on, Rose! You know I'm out of dresses –"

"Uh huh. Right" I interrupted.

She continued as though she couldn't hear me. "- and, like, freaking Dimitri Dombrovski asked me out! Comeoncomeoncomeoncomeonnnnnn!"

Giving her a knowing smile, I sneered, "ah, Dimitri Dombrovski. _That_'s what this is all about."

Dimitri Dombrovski was, like me, one of the new kids. He just moved into our school all the way from Moscow. Ever since the day he had moved in – well, three days ago, actually – girls were swooning left and right. And why not? He was tall, pretty hot, drove a motorcycle, and, according to Ashley, had a "totally cute Russian accent." Now that she had him as a date for the End of School Dance, there was no doubt that she'd be the enemy of nearly every girl in school.

She looked at me with pleading eyes. "Rose. . . please? You need a dress, too!"

Well, if she was gonna get crap from everyone about this one date, she might as well look good. And what are friends for? I rolled my eyes.

"Okay."

* * *

Jake fiddled with his seat belt buckle as the plane began its descent into Hong Kong. The landing was the part of the flight that he hated the most. It was just so scary to him, the whole process of landing. How the wheels unlatch and how the plane kind of bumps the ground before it's completely on the runway.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Hong Kong," came the pilot's voice from the airplane's speakers. "You may now unfasten your seatbelts."

His mind started racing as passengers stood from their seats. _Rose_, he thought, _She could be anywhere . . . But how am I supposed to find her?_

The possibilities were endless. She could be at Central, or Tsim Tsa Tsui . . . anywhere and everywhere, really. He had to find her, and fast. They only had three weeks until they left for New York again. Three weeks would be an ample amount of travel time, but not enough to introduce yourself to your one true love.

As they walked out of the plane, Jake's eyes glazed over, his mind completely preoccupied with coming up with a plan to find Rose. _So I find her . . .then what? What do I say? "Hey, Rose, it's me, Jake. Technically we've never met, but I'm in love with you."_

"Huh," he mumbled. "Crazy."

Susan turned around. "What was that, Jake, sweetie?"

He looked up, startled. For a second, he forgot where he was. "Uh . . .ummm, nothing, Mom! Just, uh, you know. I said 'fly.' Like, it's so fly we're here!"

"Oh," she said, smiling. "Well, wait until you and Hailey meet your cousins! And your Uncle Henry and Aunt Ling!"

Jake plastered a smile on his face as he nodded in agreement. _Phew . . . close call._

Jonathan put an arm around his son's shoulder and said, "Y'know, son, when I was your age, I met my mother's siblings for the first time, too. They were in Canada, they were, and I . . . "

Jake zoned out as his dad droned on and on and on. He couldn't wait until they got to the hotel, when he could finally go off on his own.

"Daddy," Hailey interrupted, "When we get to the hotel, can I go to the mall?"

"Oh, well, of course, dear. But not on your own. Jake'll take you," he said.

Jake groaned. So much for going off on his own.

"Won't you, Jake? Oh please? Pretty please?" Hailey begged, her hands clasped together.

"Only because you asked _so _nicely," he grumbled. Well, there wasn't much of a choice, really. With Jake's parents, you had to either obediently comply or face an hour-long "talk." _Oh, well_, Jake thought, _at least I still have time to look for Rose _after _the mall_ . . .

"Oh, and Jake, you must remember to come to my room after your outing," said Grandpa Lao. "We have to schedule our training."

"Whuuuutss? No way, G! I thought this was a vacation!"

Grandpa Lao only raised a hand in response to Jake's desperate protest. "Now, you know the rules. Training rain or shine. And we did not come to Hong Kong for nothing, young dra-"

"Training?" Jonathan piped up. "For what?"

Grandpa Lao and Jake froze. Jake's eye twitched. _Great, Gramps. You sure blew our cover._

Susan came to the rescue. "For, uh, training. For . . . noodle eating!"

Grandpa, Jake, and Hailey, all nodded and muttered in agreement.

"Yeah."

"Er . . . yes!"

"Uh huh."

"Because . . . "she continued, "there's going to be a noodle slurping contest next week. Whoever gets to slurp the longest noodle . . ."

"Wins," Jake croaked. "Whoever slurps the longest noodle wins."

"Oh," Jonathan shrugged, still completely oblivious. "Well, that sounds exciting!"

The four simply smiled as the group walked towards the Baggage Claim. Susan shot her father a warning look.

When he was sure no one could hear him, Jake sighed. _You're not the only one keeping secrets._

_

* * *

_

Three hours. That was how long it took for Ashley to choose _one _itty bitty dress. Well, okay, it wasn't all that itty-bitty. I had to admit, it was actually pretty nice. The dress was blue and long and flowy . . . heck, it was something I would've worn.

Ashley's face scrunched up in a grimace as she asked, "What do you think? Too much? Too silky? Too blue? What?"

"It's perfect! God, Ash, I'm almost jealous!" I laughed. She looked so unsure because, well, she's Ashley. She always had the shortest skirts and the highest heels on to boost her confidence, and now that her dress actually followed our school's dress code, she was probably feeling iffy.

"You sure?"

"Yep. A hundred percent."

She smiled. "Thanks, Rose! Ohmygawd, I, like, totally owe you now."

She gave me a mischevious grin. _Oh no,_ I thought, _Here it comes . . ._

"Let's go get _you _a dress!"

"I'd love to, but . . . " I searched my mind for an excuse. I couldn't tell her the truth. _But you'd make me look like a tramp. But you're wearing the dress I want_.

Too late. She was already picking dresses off racks. "Ooh, how about _this _one?" she said, pointing to a bright pink bandage-style minidress.

"Yeah," I said, "It's nice, I guess . . . _for a shirt._"

Ashley rolled her eyes. "Ugh, please. Rose, you have legs. Use them."

"But . . . but I don't wanna look like a –"

"What?" she said, raising her eyebrows. "Like me?"

"Well . . ."

She dropped the dress. "Mkay, Rose, how many boyfriends have I had?"

"Uh . . . four?"

"Five. And how many have _you_ had?"

"Ughhh!" I groaned, frustrated with where this was going. "Fine, fine! I get it!"

"Ha! So you surrender."

She said it like a statement, not a question. I didn't want to look like a mini-Paris Hilton. There were so many girls at Sterling International High School – and back at home in New York – who looked like that. But I didn't want to be that kind of girl. I wanted to be, well, me. Pretty, but not in a way that would make boys instantly go, "I-want-to-make-out-with-you." Because that would make me cheap. And I, Rose Smith, am not cheap.

We looked for another hour until we finally found the right dress. It was pink and kind of Grecian-looking. I liked it, and so did Ashley.

"It is _so_ totally you," she gushed as we walked to the counter.

"Yeah?"

"Mhm! Too bad you don't have a date, though . . . "

Then, something – _someone_ – behind Ashley caught my eye. It was . . . no. It couldn't be.

He was a lot taller than I remembered from the dream. He had searching eyes and sticky-out hair. And the red jacket. I couldn't have forgotten the red jacket. This had to be him. He turned around. He was going to leave the store! No!

I must have seemed dazed because Ashley waved her hand in front of my face. "Uh, hello? Rose? Anyone home?"

I handed her my wallet, hypnotized. This was crazy. _I can't believe I'm actually doing this_, I thought.

"Take care of that for me . . . "

I slowly began to walk towards the boy, but my steps grew quicker as he walked out of the store. I ran.

"WAIT!" I yelled.

He turned around, surprised. His eyes grew larger and larger as we both drank the moment in. Yes, this was him. I was sure of it.

"R-R-Rose?"

It felt so good to hear him say my name.

* * *

**So . . . any violent reactions? Loved it? Hated it? On the fence with it?**

**Just review. ;)**


	4. You Remember Me?

She walked over to him, slowly, as though she were in some sort of trance. He simply stood there, unable to believe his own eyes.

"You," she said, reaching over to touch his face. "It's really you."

Jake took Rose's hand. "You remember me."

And in the middle of the crowded hall, the two embraced each other tightly.

"It's real," she whispered. "I can't believe it was real."

* * *

Lao sat in his room, quietly meditating as the sun went down. The large window in his hotel room had let in a stream of sunlight. All was silent but for the steady ticking of the clock above the television. The old man was at peace – for now. Soon the doors would fling open and Jake would be bouncing around his room, trying and most likely failing his training. Lao sighed. He loved his grandson, but he sometimes felt like tearing off his beard in frustration whenever Jake would choose to listen to music instead of fly through flaming hoops, or speak in annoying slang that even Lao could not understand. "Ah, well," he said, gingerly getting to his feet, "I was young once."

He walked over to the window. By now the sky had gone light blue and city lights were flickering on. This view, above all things, reminded him of such a time. A time when he had the energy to bounce around excitedly, a time when he, too, made idiotic mistakes. Lao smiled. What he wouldn't give to go back . . .

The clock struck 6:00. He and Jake had agreed to meet at six, but it would have been understandable if he was running a little late. This was Jake's first time in Hong Kong. He still had places to see, things to explore. Lao could wait. He sat on his bed and turned on the television to the local news.

Time flew by, and soon it was 6:15. Then 6:30. And before he knew it, it was 7:00. Where could his grandson be?

Lao frowned. How disrespectful. Jake had stood him up for an entire hour! New to the city or not, this was not acceptable. He picked up the phone and dialed Susan and Jonathan's hotel room number.

"Hello?"

"Susan, my dear. It is me."

"Hi, dad, is everything alright?"

Lao grunted in annoyance. "Jake is late! Is he with you? I want to have a word with him!"

"What? I thought he was with you?"

He let out a string of Cantonese swearwords. "Oh, I am going to give that boy a lecture! Where was he last?"

"The mall . . Dad, relax, I think –"

"No, you relax. I will look for him."

He slammed down the phone and stormed out of his room. "Oh, I am REALLY going to let him have it . . . " he grumbled.

* * *

**So, I know it's been a really long time since my last chapter, and I'd hate to be one of those people who always apologizes for not keeping to their schedules, but really, sorry for the late update! I hope you enjoyed this chapter anyway. Please let me know by reviewing! :)**


	5. Doubt

Jake couldn't believe his luck. Just a week ago, he had been moping about Rose and praying that he could find her in Hong Kong. Now, here he was, right next to her, after _she_ had found _him_. For the past hour and a half, the two had been sitting in a café, just talking. Mostly, Rose asked questions and Jake answered them. She remembered him, apparently, through a dream. A dream she had of the very night he had saved her from the Huntsclan. But in this life, it was only through that dream that she knew him. Technically, after Jake had made the wish, the two had met only once, on her last day of school. But he could still remember her because of the fact that he had been completely aware of the fact that he made life change its course. It was weird, figuring all this out as he answered her questions.

"Okay, so . . . let me get this straight," she said, tucking a loose curl of blond hair behind her ear. "You and I . . . we were together in some kind of alternate-universe-past-life?"

Jake nodded. "Mhmm. But remember what I just told you – we weren't allowed to be, because you were a Huntsgirl and I was – well, still _am_ - a dragon."

"Right, the whole Huntsclan thing. And why were we after dragons?"

"Well . . . I'm actually not completely sure. To have power over the magical world, I guess. 'Cause, I mean, it wasn't just dragons the Huntsclan was after. They killed all sorts of magical creatures. Mermaids, giants, fairies, you name it."

Rose's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait a minute, are you telling me those things exist? They're actually real?"

Jake laughed. A Chinese couple sitting at a table nearby glanced at him, frowning. Lowering his head and moving closer to Rose, he whispered, "Well, of course! If dragons are real, then so are other magical creatures, right?"

She looked away thoughtfully. "Hmm. I guess you're right."

Then, in an instant, she whipped her head around and stared at him, her expression skeptical. "Is this real?"

"What?"

"Look, it's not that I don't believe you . . . I do. And I think it's absolutely crazy that a lifetime away, we've found each other. But even if you remember me, I only remember you from that dream . . . and the last day of school, of course. It's just . . . well, don't you . . . "

Jake sighed. He knew this was all too good to be true. "Don't I what?"

"I don't know. There's just this small voice in the back of my head telling me that this isn't real. That I'm crazy. I mean, dragons? Really?"

He stood up, but she took his hand. "Jake . . . please don't. I know this is insane, but I need to know it's real."

"Come with me," he said, looking around to make sure no one had noticed. "I will prove everything. I _am_ a dragon."

Without flinching or batting an eyelash, Rose stood up, too. "Okay."

* * *

Lao glided through people, past shops, looking everywhere for Jake. The mall wasn't big, and he had already gone through most of it. Lao cursed in Cantonese. That boy would be in big trouble once he found him.

Angry as he was, the old man was tired. He ordered some tea in the Coffee Bean and took a seat on one of the benches placed around the mall. Above him, a huge glass chandelier hung over a long escalator. The sight of the ornamental chandelier brought Lao back to when he was younger . . . he had been eighteen when he snuck out to take a rich girl on a date. He had saved up his wages from working in the store for a month, and then asked the girl his parents explicitly forbade him to see. After that night, he understood why – she was a completely prejudiced spoiled brat. He had taken her to a nice restaurant, complete with chandeliers and velvet seats, and all she could do was complain. Once he revealed to her that he wasn't rich after all, and had only been able to afford the date because he had saved his money, she yelled at him indignantly and stomped off. Lao laughed to himself. "Oh, how foolish we are when we are young," he mumbled. Then he remembered Jake. Whatever his grandson was doing, he probably didn't mean to skip training. He was only being foolish and young, enjoying life and doing things because he didn't know him any better. Perhaps he could cut his grandson some slack. "Lao Shi, you are getting soft with age!" he chuckled, scolding himself. "Well, it's just this once, anyway."

And with that, he hobbled off, exiting the busy mall to get back to his comfortable hotel room.

* * *

They stood in a narrow, secluded alley between two residential buildings. Surrounded by large garbage bins and several disarrayed cardboard boxes, Jake was sure that they wouldn't be seen.

"Okay," Jake said, "you ready?"

Rose smiled. "Go for it."

He took a deep breath, and as ribbons of fire engulfed him, began to transform. He grew taller and thicker, his limbs grew shorter, and a tail sprouted out of his back. Red scales replaced his skin, and . . .

"DRAGON UP!"

With a flourish, he rose to his full height; knocking away some old cardboard boxes as his tail _swooshed_ to the right. Rose could only stare in amused disbelief. Jake smirked. "Told ya."


End file.
